


Unreachable, almost.

by myhead_myuniverse



Category: Outer Banks (TV)
Genre: Alcohol, Bleeding JJ, Caring, F/M, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Happy Ending, John B half-sister, Love, Mention of abuse, Ocean Sex, Two broken teenagers, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:09:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25091389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myhead_myuniverse/pseuds/myhead_myuniverse
Summary: He brings the bottle to his lips, wrapping them around the neck. He lets the brown liquid burn its way down his throat.He’s not drunk. Not drunk enough anyway to forget the pain in his ribs or for his lip to stop stinging every time he takes a gulp.The sand is soft and cold on his naked feet. He doesn’t know how long he’s been walking, he doesn’t even know where he is, but he doesn’t really care. He doesn’t care because he has nowhere to go anyway.He stops, suddenly feeling tired. Tired of the weight on his shoulders, tired of hurting, tired of feeling like he’ll never be enough. He turns his gaze to the sea.It takes a while before he notices the girl swimming in the dark water. He can’t see much from where he is but her long hair flowing around her dark figure. He wonders for a brief moment what she’s doing here all alone. If he knows her.If she’s as broken as he is, if it’s the reason she’s there all alone in the dark.
Relationships: JJ (Outer Banks) & Original Female Character(s), JJ (Outer Banks)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 41





	1. Painfully pounding heart

He brings the bottle to his lips, wrapping them around the neck. He lets the brown liquid burn its way down his throat.

He’s not drunk. Not drunk enough anyway to forget the pain in his ribs or for his lip to stop stinging every time he takes a gulp.

The sand is soft and cold on his naked feet. He doesn’t know how long he’s been walking, he doesn’t even know where he is, but he doesn’t really care. He doesn’t care because he has nowhere to go anyway. He’s sure as hell not going home and he doesn’t feel like going back to John B’s.

He stops, suddenly feeling tired. Tired of the weight on his shoulders, tired of hurting, tired of feeling like he’ll never be enough. He turns his gaze to the sea. Damn. He wishes he didn’t forget his board at the Chateau.

It looks so peaceful. Even more so at night then it does in the day.

It takes a while before he notices the girl swimming in the dark water. He can’t see much from where he is but her long hair flowing around her dark figure. He wonders for a brief moment what she’s doing here all alone. If he knows her.

~~If she’s as broken as he is, if it’s the reason she’s there all alone in the dark.~~

She’s probably a Kook.

He notices he’s staring when she calls him out on it. “You’re gonna stop staring anytime soon?” There’s a hint of amusement in her voice and it makes a blush rise up JJ’s neck.

“Sorry.” He says holding up the bottle of alcohol like an excuse.

~~Alcohol is never an excuse, he learned that the hard way.~~

Her face becomes clearer and clearer as she gets closer to him. She’s pretty, really pretty and he definitely doesn’t know her. He would remember her.

A tourist probably.

She swims to the shore, getting out of the water with confidence. She’s naked. God. It takes only a few seconds before JJ notices she’s naked.

“Woah!” He reacts, tearing his eyes away from her. Mostly because it’s the right thing to do, clearly not because he doesn’t want to see. It still pulls a chuckle out of her mouth.

“Never seen a girl naked?” He looks back at her as she buttons up her shorts, black tank top already covering the upper half of her body. She’s teasing him.

“I… No, it’s just…. You… I…” He curses at himself for stuttering so much. He doesn’t know what’s going on. It’s not like him to be all shy and insecure. He’s usually so overconfident. It must be the alcohol.

  
~~Maybe it’s just her.~~

“I have. Not that it really matters. I was trying to be polite.” He says finally getting a grip on himself.

She nods, a smile stretching her lips. She’s so beautiful, JJ can’t help but think. She looks around his age, her eyes are pretty but dark, like she’s seen as much shit as he has. She’s tall, her legs going on for miles, he’s just barely taller than her. His fingers twitch against his side. “I guess it doesn’t and thank you.” He smiles back awkwardly, fingers running through his blond locks.“What’re you drinking?”

He looks down at the bottle and holds it up for her to take it. “Whiskey.”

She takes the bottle from him and wraps her lips around the neck, just like he did minutes before. She doesn’t react as the liquid goes down her throat and hands it back to him. “You’re not from here.” It’s not a question, more like a statement.

“Nice observation.” Sarcasm is dripping from her words. Yep. He likes her already. “Just visiting someone.”

“So, you’re part of the Kook gang I guess.” There’s no way that she isn’t, not with how she looks, not with how she carries herself. He can’t help his nose scrunching up in disgust. It stirs something inside of him at the thought. He doesn’t know what’s wrong with him, why he feels like this. 

“Don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, but I take it as an insult.” She places her hand over her heart, like he just hurt her. A chuckle escapes from his lips.

“The rich gang.” He explains as she takes the alcohol from his hands once again. He watches her throat moves as she swallows trying to keep all the dirty thoughts from his head.

“Definitely not a part of that. So, that’s how it works around here? The rich versus those who are struggling.” She doesn’t know the guy in front of her which is probably why she doesn’t comment on the permanent pain in his eyes or his split lip he hides in between his teeth.

She doesn’t know him, but something pulls her to him. That’s mostly the reason she’s still here and not back at her hotel. He’s cute too, which she isn’t mad about. The way his blond hair is falling around his face, how his blue eyes shine under the moonlight and the feeling of his fingers barely brushing against her skin as they pass the bottle back and forth, makes shivers run down her spine.

“Yeah. Well, most of them think that having money gives them the right to be assholes and beat people up.” He opens the door wide open for her to ask the question.

“That’s what happened to your lip?” The words come right out of her mouth in a heartbeat. For some reason it doesn’t bother him.

“No.” She doesn’t push. It’s not her business, if he doesn’t want to talk about it he doesn’t have to. She knows what it’s like to hope people would just stop asking questions. “Who are you visiting?”

“My half-brother.” He doesn’t push either because, really, they don’t even know each other. “Never seen him in my life, didn’t even know he existed before my crazy mother admitted it. Alcohol does that to people, you know, push them to admit they had a family before you and other dirty little secrets.” JJ can hear the anger in her voice. He would lie if he said he doesn’t know what alcohol does to people. He knows it very well. He knows what alcohol does to his father, the pain really can’t let him forget. Suddenly his ribs seem to hurt a lot more than they did seconds ago.

“Alcohol can do a lot of things to people.” He finds it almost ironic that he takes the opportunity to take another gulp from the bottle.

She can hear the pain behind his words. For a few seconds she sees him as the little kid he is, broken and scared under all his tough exterior. It takes her breath away. She hopes life has been good to him, even though she has a strong feeling it hasn’t.

“To fucked up families.” He says passing her the bottle.

“To fucked up families.” She repeats mimicking his action.

Though she isn’t completely dry already she lays down on the beach aware of the sand sticking to her skin. Her eyes move through the sky taking in the beauty of the stars.

He doesn’t know if he’s invited but he still lays down next to her. Their shoulders brushing against each other. “When’d you get here?” It’s a simple question, mostly because JJ hates silence. Silence means thinking and thinking means bringing back all the insecurities he was trying to drown in the alcohol before he met her.

“This morning.” She says softly. She had only one thing to do here, but still she took the day to visit the place avoiding the real reason why she’d made the trip.

“But you haven’t met your brother yet?” He frowns, though he knows she can’t see him.

“No.” It’s weird how right it feels to be laying down at 2 in the morning with a stranger and just… talking. He could be a murderer for all she knows but having him there tames the anxiety in her chest. The anxiety that came with the uncertainty of what she’s doing. Is she doing the right thing? Is he going to want to see her? Or is she only going to remind him of his mother and how she abandoned him? Is he gonna push her away? Tell her she’s not his family?

She should have contacted him through social media, ask him, talk to him. But no, she just jumped on a plane and traveled all the way to him. She’s done with her old life, with her crazy and abusive mother. She’s ready to start something new and that guy is her only family. She heard about his father, about how he disappeared on a boat 4 years ago. She lost her father too, many years ago, and as far as she’s concern she doesn’t have a mother anymore. She holds on to the idea they’re each other’s last family. “He doesn’t know I exist. I guess I’m just scared he won’t consider me his family. He’s the last family I have.”

She doesn’t take her eyes away from the stars. JJ gets it, all that fear of being rejected or not having a family left to hold on to. He feels that way with the Pogues. They’re his family and sometimes it’s hard not to be scared. Scared they’ll realize he’s too fucked up for them and they’ll leave. "He's a dick if he rejects you.”

“Yeah, well… If he does I’ll officially be alone in this world.” It’s not sadness dripping down her words, more like uncertainty of what she’s going to do. She doesn’t have a plan, doesn’t have clue where she’s going, what she’ll do next.

He turns to her at that. “Well, if he does, you’re welcome in our little made up family.” She wants to tell him he doesn’t know her. That he can’t just go around and invite people he doesn’t know in his family.

At the same time, she finds it oddly sweet.

“It’s me and three of my best friends, and one girlfriend. We’re like a family. Well, they’re the only one I have.” He doesn’t know why it’s so easy to confide in strangers, but the words flow right out of his mouth. Her energy is calming, just being next to her makes JJ feel like everything is fine when it clearly isn’t.

“You don’t know me.” It escapes her mouth before she even has the time to keep it in. She doesn’t want him to think she’s not grateful he’s asking.

JJ just chuckles and shrugs, his head turning back to bring his eyes towards the stars. “Nobody deserves to be alone.”

“Thank you.” She answers truthfully, it makes her feel a little bit better. Like that guy, she still doesn’t know the name of, just gave her the courage to knock on her brother’s door in the morning. Whatever the consequences may be. “It would be easier if I knew your name.”

“JJ” He tells her, waiting for her to give him hers. She does and he nods, the name fits her. He repeats it, letting the word roll of his tongue.

His voice, the way her name escapes his lips, makes shivers run down her spine.

She looks down at her watch and slowly pulls herself on her feet. He follows her through it, unable to keep his eyes off of her. “Well, JJ.” She smiles and it makes JJ’s heart pound in his chest. He doesn’t get up, he can’t. He feels dizzy and drunk, so, so, so drunk.

God. He hopes it isn’t the last time he sees her. “I need to go. Thank you for the beautiful night.” He’s not really done anything to make her night better but, hey, he’ll take any compliment he can get from a pretty girl. So, he shuts his mouth and just smile.

She likes his smile, it’s so much better than the expression he was wearing when he walked across the beach. She’s tempted to place a blond strand of hair back where it belongs, but she doesn’t. It’d be weird. She takes a few steps back. “I hope that, whatever is happening in your life…” She pauses. “That whatever brought you on this beach at this hour, I hope it gets better.”

He doesn’t correct her, tell her it won’t, it can’t. “I hope everything goes well with your brother.”

She smiles pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “See you around.”

*************************************************************

She stops in front of the door of the small house next to the ocean.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

She can do this. She lifts her hand and finally pushes herself to knock.

She asked a few locals where he lived, seems like everyone know everyone around here.

A brown-haired man opens it, his long hair half falling across his tired face. She notices the family traits in his face, the ones he took from their mother, the ones similar to hers. “Hi.” She nervously says playing with her shaking fingers. “John B?”

She doesn’t understand the nickname but that’s what everyone around seem to call him. “Yeah?” She can see the confusion in his eyes. “Do we know each other?”

“Not really. We have a common… Acquaintance.” She looks past him silently asking if she can come in. Curiosity gets the best of him and he clears the way to let her in. He invites her to sit around the table taking the chair next to her.

She looks nervous, John B notices. “What’s going on?” He says softly, trying to coax it out of her. It’s weird how much he wants to take her in his arms, take the pain away from her eyes.

“I’m your half-sister.” Her eyes meet his and he looks like he’s been slapped across the face. He doesn’t expect the happiness rushing through his chest.

God. He though he was alone, that he had no real family left. “Wow. I’m…hm… Wow.” Words are pushing each other in his head. He has so many questions, so many thoughts. “What are you doing here?”

She frowns at the question. Of course, she expected it, but she still can’t read if her brother is happy or not to see her. “Our mom is an abusive asshole.” She explains, keeping her guards up. “I ran away. You’re… You’re my only family.”

He gets up and hold his hand out for her to take it. She does and gets on her feet before being tugged in a crushing hug.

She hugs him back, trying really hard not to break down in his arms. “You’re my only family too.” He whispers in her ear, pulling a sob out of her.

It takes a few minutes before both siblings let go of each other sitting back down.

At eighteen she’s only two years younger than him. Their mother used to be mentally and physically abusive with her. One day, she got drunk and told her about her other family, about him. The next day the woman broke his sister’s nose and she decided to run away and never let their mother lay a hand on her again. She jumped on a plane on her way to find him, to start over with the only family she had left.

He’s angry she had to live all of this, if only he knew she existed. He would’ve tried to contact her, something, get her out of the hell she’s been living in. He doesn’t know how to describe how it feels to know he’s not alone anymore, that he still has a family. “God. You don’t know how happy I am.”

It makes her want to cry again. She’s so happy too.

She’s not alone anymore.

The nightmare is over.

*****************************************************************

They spent the day getting to know each other, moving the few things she has in the spare room of her brother’s house. She also met his girlfriend Sarah. She really likes her, she’s sure they’ll easily be friends.

She still doesn’t understand the rivalry between the Kooks and the Pogues but, well, Sarah says it’s better since her brother, Rafe, isn’t around anymore.

“So,” John B says the next day. “I’ll introduce you to the Pogues today. You’ll see, they’re a little crazy but they’re nice.”

She’s excited and nervous at the same time. She really wants them to like her. What she has with John B is so new but so important, she doesn’t want to mess it up.

She meets Kiara first, her passion for the environment and the turtles is contagious. It takes minutes before she has her next day already planned by the brunette. She isn’t mad at her, it’ll be good to get out, see the place and get to know Kiara. The girl also promised her a nice day saving the turtles and that makes her want to jump around the living room.

She meets Pope next. She isn’t embarrassed to say he isn’t the kind of person she used to hang out with but he’s the kind of person she wants around her now. He’s smart and funny and she knows, by how serious he gets asking John B if he’s eaten today, that he cares deeply for his friends. She admires him for it.

“He’s always late.” Pope tells her when he notices her frowning at the number of persons in the room. John B told her they were five and only four of them are sitting around in his living room.

“Yeah, you’ll get used to it. He’s always late, crazy, sarcastic and has no sense of preservation whatsoever.” The smile stretching Kiara’s lips tells her it’s something they’re used to saying to his face and not behind his back. She smiles too, a little afraid to say it’s exactly her kind of guy.

“Talking about me.” She recognizes the voice instantly, her eyes snapping up to meet his. He stops on his track, shocked.

He chuckles at the coincidence before taking her in his arms like he’s known her for years. She wraps her arms around him, a laugh escaping her mouth. “So, mystery girl, John B’s your brother.”

She nods slowly pulling away from him. “See, told you it would be fine.” The smirk that pulls the corner of his lips makes her heart skip a beat.

She almost forgets they’re not alone before her brother steps in. “You two…” He says pointing at the both of them back and forth. “You know each other.”

“Kind of.” JJ says at the same time she answers. “Not really.”

His gaze moves back and forth between his sister and his best friend waiting for an explanation. “I got here yesterday, couldn’t get myself to walk over your house, in fear you’d reject me, and I’d finally be alone for good.” She admits looking at her brother. John B’s heart break at the thought. “We met on the beach and just talked for a while.”

She doesn’t talk about the electricity rushing through them, the attraction or the pain they shared. His eyes meet hers in reconnaissance.

In reality, he didn’t think he would ever see her again. He’d hope he would, but he didn’t want to get his hopes up. He’ll admit that being his best friend’s little sister doesn’t exactly put her in a reachable position but he’s still happy to see her.

So, she meets JJ last. JJ’s like a fire burning in her chest, warming up her heart that never knew nothing but cold.

Fuck.

**************************************************************

It takes weeks before she gets the whole story. The story with the gold but mostly JJ’s story. How his mother left him with his father and how his dad gets violent when he’s drunk and he’s always drunk.

So, more often than not, he stays at the Chateau with them. Living on their, well John B’s, couch.

It doesn’t bother her. Far from it. Having him at the Chateau makes her sleep better at night. When he’s not there all she can do is worry, wonder where he is, if he’s alright. The sound of his soft snores lulls her to sleep, because it means JJ’s safe, that he’s alive, that he’s ok.

Tonight isn’t one of those nights.

The floor creaking underneath her naked feet makes her fingers tighten around her glass. She hates being home alone. She hates that John B isn’t there, she hates that JJ is back home, she hates the worry growing up in her chest.

She lets her gaze wander out of the window. She’s not sure she’s gonna get used to how beautiful the view is. Something moving on the front yard catches her attention. A familiar mop of blond hair.

She sets her glass down and walks out of the house. “JJ?” Her voice is just loud enough to reach his ear. He moves his head to look at her. She can’t really see his face, but she smiles at the sound of his voice.

“Hey.” He answers like it isn’t weird for him to be laying in the grass at 3 am.

“What are you doing here?” She walks closer to him, a frown up on her face.

“Didn’t want to wake you or your brother up.” He mumbles sitting up. The tone of his voice makes an uneasy feeling wake up in her stomach. Something’s wrong.

“John B is spending the night at Sarah’s.” She sucks in a breath when he turns around to face her. A cut is bleeding above his right eye and another one dripping down his left cheek. His nose looks like it just stopped bleeding and dark purple bruises are scattered across his chest.

She holds her hand out to help him get on his feet. She wants to react so bad, gasp, let down the tears threatening to roll down her cheek, but she doesn’t. She knows that if she does he’ll shut down and she doesn’t want that. “Come on.”

He takes her hand, getting up and following her back to the house. “Sit.” He doesn’t argue and lets himself fall on the chair she pulled out for him. He’s tired and all he can feel is pain, all over his body, inside his chest. He’s so thankful she doesn’t react like the other does because he would’ve cried, and he can’t… He just can’t let himself cry.

She looks around for the med kit, trying, at the same time, to get a grip on herself. Her hands are shaking as she runs her fingers through the supplies.

God.

Under the sun her relationship with JJ is the same as the one with the other Pogues. When the moon rises, it’s a whole new thing. Under the stars they can talk about anything, just like the night they met. When everybody else is asleep JJ talk about his father, about his future and she talks about her mother and what she wants to do when she’s older. When it’s dark, he tells her things he’s never told his best friends and she bring to life words she never dared to say.

She brings back the things to clean his wounds and lays them on the kitchen table. “It’s going to sting.” She says starting with the wound above his eye.

He doesn’t wince or even pull back, used to John B cleaning his wounds. She holds his face with one hand and cleans him up with the other one. He unconsciously presses his cheek against her palm. “Next time, you knock instead of staying outside idiot. I don’t care if you wake me up.”

He groans and she knows it’s not because of the pain but the words coming out of her mouth. “You deserve some nights of sleep where you don’t have listen to me snore or move around in the creaky pull out bed or just… Bleeding all over.”

She rolls her eyes almost pressing her fingers harder against the wound. “That’s bullshit.” The blond looks up at her with a frown. “I can’t sleep when you’re not here.”

His fingers twitch against his thigh. What?

“I just lay in my bed, look at the ceiling and wonder if you’re ok, if you’re alive, if I’m gonna see you tomorrow. How many wounds you’re going to have? I don’t sleep when I don’t hear you move around because I know you’re not safe.” The words make his heart stop in his chest.

“What?” He finally says out loud after repeating it again and again in his head. She stops on her track on locks her eyes with his.

“What? So it’s a surprise that I care about you?” Of course it is, he tells himself. It’s a surprise because no one really cares about him. No one cares enough to worry when he goes back home, to worry enough that it keeps them from sleeping.

She cleans the rest of his wounds under his stunned gaze. “J? Is it ok if I touch you? I just want to know if your ribs are broken.” He slowly nods his head, watching her fingers runs across his chest. He hisses at the pain as she applies pressure on his bruises, but they don’t hurt enough to be broken.

She lets herself fall down on the chair in front of him. “Move in.” She can’t keep the words from rolling of her tongue. “Move in. I’m tired of worrying, tired of finding you like this, I’m tired of you hurting J. Move in.”

He thinks about it, about all the ways he could say no, he could brush away her idea but there’s nothing in the world he wants more than to stop hurting. He nods to himself first and locks eye with her. “Ok.”

It’s like a weight is lifted of her shoulders. She smiles at his answer, tears welling up in her eyes. “Really?” She leans in and presses her lips against his cheek. She can’t even explain how happy she is that her friend agreed to get out of this mess.

“We’ll see how we’ll work everything out tomorrow. Now, you need to sleep.” As she lets the words fall out her mouth, tears build up in JJ’s eyes.

He wraps his fingers around her wrist as she goes to pull back and make his bed. “Don’t leave me alone.” He sobs before biting down his bottom lip hard.

“I won’t.” She says softly, running her fingers through his hair. She leads him to her room and lets him lay down before taking her place next to him. She lets him snuggle against her side, his head on her stomach as she plays with his hair knowing it helps him fall asleep.

JJ is out in a few minutes. She waits to hear his even breathing before closing her eyes too and letting herself drift off.


	2. God. He was so wrong.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He watches her move her hips to the music, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. She’s beautiful.
> 
> Her eyes lock with his. God. Her heart is pounding in her chest. Must be the alcohol, she tries to convince herself.
> 
> It’s not.
> 
> She throws her head back, running her fingers through her hair. She lets the music run through her, alcohol pleasantly buzzing in her veins. JJ’s heart is ready to burst out of his chest. He wants to press his lips against her throat so bad.

He’s pretty sure he’s in love with her. He is.

He watches her move her hips to the music, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. She’s beautiful.

Yepp. He’s in love.

Her eyes lock with his. God. Her heart is pounding in her chest. Must be the alcohol, she tries to convince herself.

It’s not.

She throws her head back, running her fingers through her hair. She lets the music run through her, alcohol pleasantly buzzing in her veins. JJ’s heart is ready to burst out of his chest. He wants to press his lips against her throat so bad.

He chugs what’s left in his cup and gets on his feet. He manages to make his way to her, gaze never leaving her figure. She wraps her arms around his neck by reflex and he lets his shaking fingers travel to the small of her back. “We should go swim!” Her eyes light up at the idea. He can’t say no, he can’t ever say no to her. He nods and lets her take his hand and lead him away from the party.

She links their fingers together as they walk across the beach to an empty spot, away from people’s eyes. She lets go of his hand and he suddenly feel himself sober up. She undoes her own dress, letting it fall down her body.

Fuck.

He stops breathing for a few seconds as his eyes travel down her body. He presses the heel of his palm against his already hardening cock, hoping it would stop acting out. God.

He tears his eyes away as she unclasps her bra. “Just like when we met.” She chuckles as he keeps his gaze on the sand.

“You coming?” He can only see her head popping out of the dark water as he brings his eyes back up. He pulls his shirt over his head completely missing her teeth digging in her bottom lip. He covers himself as he throws away his underwear and walks in the water.

She smiles at him. “Never though you’d be shy.” The words are teasing but it still pulls a smirk out of JJ.

“Well, never though I’d be skinny dipping with my best friend’s little sister.” He retorts before letting his legs move from under him to immerse his head under the water. She walks up closer to him before he comes back up for air.

“So that’s all I am? Your best friend’s sister.” She doesn’t know what comes over her as the words roll of her tongue. The words are dangerously flirty as she wraps her arms around his neck and pulls herself closer to him. He absentmindedly lay his hand on her hip. He’s not used to be on the other side of flirty comments, usually the one hitting on girls.

Maybe it’s the waves, maybe is the alcohol but he takes a step closer letting his fingers run over her collarbone. “I don’t know.”

The feel of his digit on her skin is enough to make heat pool in her stomach. God. She wants him so bad. If anyone asks she’ll blame it on the alcohol rushing through her veins and not the feelings in her chest whenever she sees him.

She notices his eyes flickering to her mouth and she smiles, running her tongue across her bottom lip. He almost curses tearing his eyes away. She dares wrapping her legs around his waist, pressing her naked chest against his.

He slides his fingers under her ass to help her stay in place and wrap his other arm around her waist. Their lips are only a few inches away from each other. “Fuck.” JJ breathes out before kissing her. Fuck it. Fuck everything, fuck the consequences, fuck the voices in his head telling him it’s not a good idea. Kissing her feels like breathing, like taking a big gulp of air after being underwater for so long.

The kiss is soft and slow, the total opposite of how she thought it would be. It’s not a bad thing though, JJ’s an excellent kisser. He kisses her like he needs her, like she’s keeping him alive. He runs his tongue across her bottom lip and deepens the kiss.

She threads her fingers through his hair slightly pulling to force a moan out of the blond’s mouth. She pulls away to get some air, throwing her head back as JJ’s lips slide across her jaw and press open mouthed kisses down her throat.

She moans softly as he sucks her skin between his lips, definitely leaving a mark behind. Her fingers push at his jaw pulling him back in another heated kiss. She can feel him reacting against her naked body.

She runs her hand down his chest, slowly wrapping her fingers around his half erect cock. He hisses at the contact, breaking away.

It’s her turn to let her lips travel down his neck leaving a bright purple mark under his jaw. She looks down at her art, proud before getting to work. She moves her hand up and down in slow movements, feeling him getting fully hard against her palm. He moans softly against her ear sending chills down her spine. God. He sounds so good.

He throws his head back biting down his own bottom lip. Feels so good. Just when she feels him tense against her, she takes her hand away pulling a breathless whine out of his mouth. She smirks before catching his lips with hers once more.

He takes the opportunity to slip a hand between their bodies and pushes one finger inside of her. She gasps inside of his mouth but doesn’t break the kiss. A second finger joins his first before he pulls them out and pushes them back in.

She pulls away throwing her head back as a loud moan escapes her lips. He bends them a little and push them in harder and faster. His name escapes her lips in a warning tone forcing him to pull away from her. He wants to make her cum so bad, he can’t wait to see her face contort in pleasure but not now, not like this.

He locks his lips back with hers, thinking about how he’s going to do this. They aren’t really far for the shore, so he walks them back almost all the way out of the water. His hands travel to her back as he lays her down on the wet sand, most of her body out of the water but the waves rising up to her knees. “Please J.” She whines in impatience.

He presses a hand on one side of her head and lines himself up with the other. He pushes himself inside of her in one hard thrust. She moans loudly, wrapping her legs around his waist and digging her nails in his biceps. “Fuck JJ.”

He groans, hiding his face in the crook of her neck. He sets up a slow and teasing pace. She moves her hand from his arm to the back of his neck pulling at his hair to bring his mouth back to hers. Her orgasm is building slowly in her stomach, but she wants more, she _needs_ more. “Come on J.” She whines tugging harshly at his blond locks.

He chuckles before giving one hard trust. The movement brings a high-pitched moan out of her lips in surprise. He sets up a faster and harder pace. “Fuck.” He moans in her ear, his own orgasm getting closer and closer.

His thumb finds her clit, making her own orgasm build faster. “JJ.” She moans loudly at the feeling spreading through her. Feels so good.

JJ comes first burying himself deep inside of her. He keeps trusting, riding out his orgasm, his fingers still playing with her clit until she comes too, her walls clenching around him. He hisses at the feeling, laying his head against her shoulder.

They stay there, catching their breath as she lets her fingers play with his hair. He hums under her touch, pressing his lips across her skin.

He pulls away slightly, just enough to slide their mouths together. He takes the opportunity to pull out, distracting her from the discomfort.

JJ breaks the kiss before getting up on his feet. He holds out his hands for her to take it and helps her getting up too. He wraps his arms around her waist, her legs a little shaky.

She can feel the sand sticking to her back, groaning. She hates sand so much. She takes his hands in hers and pulls him back in the water. She dives in before getting back up next to him. She wraps her arms back around his neck and smiles.

She catches his lips with hers in a slow and sweet kiss. God. She loves kissing him, she can stay like this forever.

She pulls back, smile tugging at both of their lips. “I like you.” JJ finally says. She bites down her bottom lip, her heart pounding in her chest.

“I like you too.” JJ kisses her once more, almost afraid this was all a dream. He hugs her tighter against him.

**************************************************************

Although he really wants to, he doesn’t sleep in her bed that night. He doesn’t get to hold her or wake up by her side.

She doesn’t want John B to find out this way. He doesn’t either. He doesn’t even know if he wants his best friend to ever find out.

What if he gets mad? What if he doesn’t want them to be together? John B knows him better than anyone else, after her of course, he’s known him since they were kids. He knows he’s not good enough for her, he knows he only brings trouble, still he can’t help but want her by his side.

It’s so cliché but she makes him better, she makes him want to try and be something, be someone good. Someone who deserves her.

John B’s going to flip. JJ knows he will. His best friend’s never been the protective type, but since he found out he had a sister he’s been the classic overprotective brother with her. JJ’s even surprised they managed to sneak out of the party the night before. John B’s eyes hardly ever drift away from her.

John B’s gonna be mad, he’s gonna hate him.

He cares, of course JJ cares, but he doesn’t know if he can live without her. If he can go on with her so close, but yet so far from him. She’s been his best friend and, mostly, his confident ever since they met. He’s never had someone know that much about him and not running away, and still love him.

She knows her brother is not going to be happy with her. That he’s going to talk to her about how JJ’s not the right guy for her and everything. She can already picture the scene in her head and how angry she’s going to get. That’s why she prepares her speech before going up to him.

They manage to sneak in a kiss before JJ goes to work. He takes his time, pulls her against him, kisses her like it’s the last one they’ll get.

It might be.

She watches him leave before going back inside the house. She makes herself breakfast, waiting for her brother to finally get up.

When he does she expects the first words that leaves his mouth. “Where were you last night?” He sits across from her bringing his mug to his lips.

“Went swimming with JJ.” He nods his head slowly. She can almost see the gears turning in his head.

“With JJ.” He repeats, eyes drifting to the bruise on her neck. “That’s where you got this.” He points to area on her neck where lays the purple hickey.

“Yeah.” She doesn’t even see the point of lying to him.

“So, you slept with JJ.” She nods, a little smile tugging the corner of her lips at the memory of the night before. “Actually, we decided to start dating.”

To say he hasn’t noticed his sister and his best friend dancing around each other would be a lie. Of course, he noticed that thing between them, but he didn’t think they would act on it so soon. He thought he had time to find the words the talk her out of it. “Look…” He starts off before she cuts him off.

“No, stop right there.” His eyes widened, shocked by the sudden outburst. "I know what you're going to say and, frankly, I don’t really care. I love you, you know I do, and I’m thankful I found you and that you’re always there for me but you’re wrong. Yes, JJ is damaged, but so am I, in ways that I can’t even tell you because I don’t have words for it. Somehow he understands, somehow he knows how to make it better, somehow he knows how to make me feel as if I’m not broken.”

John B stays silent. He never expected what she just admitted to him. “We spent nights and nights talking and figuring things out. I managed to make his walls fall down, if only you knew John B, who he is underneath all that. Do you know JJ’s a hugger?” Her brother smiles at the thought. No, he didn’t know. All he knew, all he noticed were the ways his best friend flinched whenever they wrapped their arms around his shoulders or laid a hand on his back. All he knows is all the times he’s seen him do dumb shit, all the times he’s been caught doing dumb and illegal shit. All he can focus on is the bad side of him and it’s not fair. He knows it isn’t because JJ’s his best friend and he’s got plenty of good sides.

He just wants to protect her, he wants what’s best for her. As he listens to her he sees that maybe JJ’s what’s best for her.

At the same time, even if he isn’t, it’s not his decision to make. “I didn’t.” He chuckles makes her smile too.

“Don’t tell him I said that. He’s gonna kill me.” She laughs, all the tension leaving her body.

“I won’t, I promise.” John B shakes his head in disbelief, he can’t really see JJ being a hugger, but he guesses it makes sense. “I’m sorry.”

She frowns at him, unsure of what he’s sorry for. “I’m sorry I’ve been so… I don’t know, overprotective I guess. An asshole probably.”

“You haven’t.” She chuckles. “It’s been fine, keeping all those douche bags away from me and… And I felt like someone cared about me. You were like this classic older brother and I felt like I had a real family for the first time in my life.”

As the words leave her mouth he notices how it sounds like something JJ would tell them. His heart breaks at the thought of everything she had to go through. “I care about you. I care a little too much and I guess I was so happy when I knew I wasn’t alone anymore, that I still had family and I’m so scared of being alone again. That you’ll leave or someone’ll take you away from me.” She understands exactly what he’s saying. She’s had numerous nightmares about losing him, about being alone and not having a family anymore.

“You won’t… I’m here for good John B and I’m not leaving, not ever.” Nothing feels better than hearing those words.

He pulls her in a hug, in a way, he’s happy she chose JJ and not someone he doesn’t know. John B knows that when JJ cares he doesn’t do anything in halves or anything to put himself in a position in which he could lose her. He’s gonna take care of her, he knows that. All of his previous fears just evaporated.

****************************************************************

He half expects John B to jump at his throat when he walks in the Chateau, but the brunet doesn’t. JJ press his hand against his chest trying to keep his heart from beating out of it.

John B, Sarah, Pope and Kie are already sitting in the back yard when he arrives. Pope throws him a beer that he catches without looking before sitting down next to them. He doesn’t ask where she is because that would be suspicious, and he feels like he’s walking on eggshells.

He throws his head back, letting the cold beer go down his throat. Pope clears his throat, the blond’s name coming out of his mouth. JJ’s brings his head down to look at him. “Where’d you get that?” His friend laugh pointing under his own jaw. JJ runs his fingers on his own skin suddenly remembering the hickey she made.

His whole face turns red, avoiding eye contact with John B. “That’s where you disappeared at the party yesterday.” Kie adds, not helping the anxiety running through him.

Just as he’s trying to make up an answer for his friend, the door behind him open and closes. He knows it’s her, it can’t be anyone else. “What are you guys talking about?” She asks opening up her own beer.

“The hickey you left on JJ.” John B answers like it’s the most obvious thing in the world and it’s not weird. Just as he says that she presses her lips on the blond’s in a hello kiss.

Pope, Sarah and Kiara’s eyes goes back and forth between her, JJ and John B. JJ stays still, shocked about all that just happened, as much as the others.

She told her brother. She told her brother and he didn’t try to kill him. John B didn’t try to kill him and even made a joke about it. What.

Was he dreaming? “You told him.” It’s all that he has the strength to say as she sits down on his lap. 

“I did.” She smiles and John B chuckles behind her.

“Ok.” Popes finally says making all the heads turn to him. “You knew and JJ’s still not dead. What? Wh…What?”

She laughs at Pope’s comment, if it wasn’t for her than he would probably be dead. “At first I wanted to kill him, like really kill him.” JJ looks down. “But then we talked, and things are fine. It’s fine. I get it and kinda saw it coming anyway.”

He doesn’t know what she told him to make John B accept it, but it must’ve been really convincing. He, himself, doesn’t know if he would’ve been able to convince his own best friend. “Damn. I need to know what you said because he’s usually so stubborn.” Sarah says making the other laugh. She’s not wrong though, her brother likes to be right, it’s no often that they manage to change his mind.

John B rolls his eyes, taking another sip from his beer.

He looks up at her happiness written all over his face. She smiles back at him, she doesn’t remember seeing him this happy. The other Pogues don’t either. She can’t help the urge to press her lips against the blond’s in a simple chaste kiss.

Her brother groans from behind them making her roll her eyes. “Oh yeah, I might be ok with it, but you’ll have to deal with me making comments all the time. I’m gonna be such a dick and a cockblock.” JJ groans throwing his head back.

“Two can play that game you know.” She throws back at her brother. Running her fingers through JJ’s blond locks.

“You wouldn’t.” John B frowns throwing her an unsure look.

“Try me.” She smirks making their friend laugh.

“I wouldn’t if I were you.” Sarah suggested to her boyfriend, not at all excited at the thought of being interrupted during sex.

JJ lays his hand on her thigh making her look back at him as Sarah and John B start arguing. He looks up at her too leaning in to press a kiss on her lips. “I love you.” He whispers so the others wouldn’t hear what he had to say.

“I love you too.” She answers catching his lips in another kiss.

He’s so happy he met her that night. That they were both lost and looking for pieces of themselves through the waves.

He doesn’t know, now, what he would do without her.

He used to think soulmates were bullshit. He was wrong.

God. He was so wrong.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading, it means a lot. Leave a comment if you want.  
> Sorry for the mistakes, english is not my first language.
> 
> Love you,  
> Lauren xxxx


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